Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Space Technology: Scotland

Luke Graham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what plans his Department has to promote the space sector in Scotland.

Mr Sam Gyimah: The Department works closely with the Scottish authorities to promote the space sector in Scotland. Space companies and organisations in Scotland directly employed some 7,000 people in 2014/15, 18% of the UK’s total employees in space. In February 2018, the UK Space Agency, working with the European Space Agency, announced over £4m in investment in Spire Global to develop cutting-edge small satellite technology in Glasgow. The Space Industry Act 2018 has also received royal assent, which will boost plans to develop new space launch services in Scotland. The UK Space Agency is also co-funding the Satellite Applications Catapult’s Scottish Centre of Excellence, which has a Scotland-wide remit to promote opportunities for increased awareness and uptake of Satellite Applications, broker partnerships and identify funding opportunities. It has also supported Space start-ups in the Tontine business incubator in Glasgow. In addition, the UK Space Agency’s Space for Smarter Government Programme is providing a training programme for Scottish Public sector organisations to help them to understand how space services can be used to deliver more efficient public services.

Companies: Ownership

Jonathan Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what progress he has made on the introduction of a public register of beneficial owners of property in the UK.

Andrew Griffiths: On 22 March, the Government published its response to the call for evidence on the proposed register of beneficial owners of overseas entities that own UK property. Work to prepare draft legislation for establishing this world-first register is ongoing. The Government has made good progress and is on track to meeting its commitment of publishing the draft Bill before the summer recess this year.

Medicine: Research

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 29 January 2018 to Question 124433, on Medicine: Research, how much money the Government has invested in (a) medical research and development and (b) medical research and development carried out by private companies since 2010.

Mr Sam Gyimah: The Government invests money in the Medical Research Council (MRC) and Innovate UK, both of which are non-departmental public bodies. The MRC funds (a) medical research and development, while both MRC and Innovate fund (b) medical research and development carried out by private companies. (a) MRC funding of medical research and developmentThe Medical Research Council (MRC) supports research through a range of grants and personal awards to scientists in universities, medical schools and other research institutes and welcomes investigator-initiated research proposals in all areas of research relevant to human health. Awards are made on the basis of the scientific quality of the proposals.  YearMRC gross expenditure2010/11£775.11m2011/12£736.82m2012/13£769.79m2013/14£877.32m2014/15£801.38m2015/16£927.79m2016/17£754.98m Notes:Gross Expenditure includes all research expenditure plus underpinning costs which relate to support for facilities, infrastructure and policy.2015/16 gross expenditure includes £169m for the Clinical Research Infrastructure Awards (https://www.mrc.ac.uk/research/initiatives/clinical-research-capabilities-and-technologies-initiative/) (b) MRC and Innovate UK funding for medical research and development carried out by private companies Innovate UK has funded medical research and development across a number of thematic areas, and funding also comprises a share of the that awarded through its Open Programme and other responsive funding programmes. Innovate UK also indirectly supports investment in medical R&D through the core funding it provides the Cell & Gene Therapy Catapult and the Medicines Discovery Catapult The MRC provides funding for research and development to private companies on an exceptional basis through the National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement & Reduction of Animals in Research (NC3Rs) CRACK IT scheme using the Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI) process from Innovate UK. The scheme drives the development of better and more predictive tools and technologies for drug and chemical development that will impact positively on the replacement, refinement and reduction of animals in research. The scheme funds universities and SMEs to work together to develop these tools so they are fit for purpose for broad uptake. YearMRC expenditure to private companies (spend)Innovate UK (commitment)2010/11£0m£25.12m2011/12£0.02m£29.43m2012/13£0.09m£80.05m2013/14£0.32m£66.64m2014/15£0m£41.72m2015/16£0m£24.42m2016/17£0.59m£63.20m Please note that spend and commitment figures are not directly comparable as funding may be committed in one year but spent in another. In addition the Department of Health and Social Care funds research into all aspects of human health through the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) at the level of £1bn per year including on programmes on research which encourage collaboration with industry.

Domestic Appliances: Sales

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what guidance his Department has issued to consumers on the identification of sales of (a) second hand and (b) recalled electrical goods.

Andrew Griffiths: The Government recalls website keeps consumers informed on recalls of all electrical goods and other products. The Government advises consumers to register their electrical appliances, whether new or second-hand, with the manufacturer so they can be informed directly by them should a recall or other corrective action subsequently be required. There is also helpful guidance for consumers on buying second hand electrical goods produced by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents and Electrical Safety First.

Domestic Appliances: Sales

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether his Department is taking steps to ensure more effective controls on the sale of recalled electrical goods online; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Griffiths: Existing safety legislation already applies to on-line sales including sales of second hand electrical goods. Online retailers are responsible for ensuring that their goods meet the legal safety requirements and are not subject to a recall or other corrective action. The Government recognises the challenge in applying and enforcing legislation to online sales, where consumers can import goods directly from outside the UK. On 21st January 2018 the Government announced the creation of a new Office for Product Safety and Standards which will help the UK to meet the evolving challenges of product safety by responding to the increasing rate of product innovation, the growth in online shopping and expanding international trade.

Land Registry

Mr Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what proportion of new registrations with HM Land Registry were registered within the 25 day period in the last 12 months.

Andrew Griffiths: Since 1 April 2017, 16.5% of applications made to HM Land Registry to register a new title were completed within 25 days. HM Land Registry have been working to reduce the oldest cases in the system and the average age of all pending applications to register a new title is 26.5 days.

Land Registry

Mr Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department has taken to ensure that HM Land Registry completes new registrations within the 25 day turnaround period.

Andrew Griffiths: Government has approved HMLR’s business strategy for the next five years including a digital programme that will deliver enhancements to current system capability over the duration of HM Land Registry’s Business Strategy, and appointed a new and expanded Board to support the organisation to deliver its objectives. HM Land Registry have plans in place to deliver and maintain improved capacity for new registrations and resilience. Since October 2017 366 new staff have joined the organisation and an additional 120 new recruits are expected to join in May 2018. Since 2014-15, 567 Apprentices have joined HMLR including 510 in the Operations directorate who directly contribute to processing applications for registration. This includes 138 Apprentices taken on by the Operations directorate in 2017-18. A number of measures are in place to improve HM Land Registry processes and productivity in order to increase output, including the use of overtime and system improvements.

Insolvency: EU Law

Mr Gary Streeter: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what plans the Government has to introduce a legal framework after the UK has left the EU that will ensure UK restructuring and insolvency practitioners will be able to practice across the EU.

Andrew Griffiths: The exact future relationship between the EU and UK on civil judicial cooperation, including the recognition of insolvency and restructuring procedures, judgments and Insolvency Practitioner qualifications is subject to negotiations with our EU partners. It is in the interests of the UK and the EU that there continues to be an effective, and fit for purpose, framework for resolving cross-border legal disputes. The Government has made clear that an effective framework of civil judicial cooperation is an important part of the deep and special partnership we want to establish with the EU.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Hong Kong: National Anthems

Bob Blackman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to the Sino-British Joint Declaration, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the change to the national anthem law in Hong Kong on the operation of British businesses; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Field: It is vital that Hong Kong’s rights and freedoms are respected, including when new legislation is being considered. We therefore welcome the Hong Kong Government’s commitment to carefully consider the views of the public and members of the Legislative Council during this legislative process.

Sidgi Kaballo

Nic Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he had had with the Sudanese Foreign Minister, Ibrahim Ghandour, on the detention without charge of Sidgi Kaballo.

Harriett Baldwin: The UK Ambassador, Chargé d’Affaires, and the Special Representative for Sudan continue to raise the UK’s deep concerns about the continued detention of Dr Kaballo with the Sudanese Foreign Minister and senior officials. We continue to urge the Government of Sudan to release Dr Kaballo, and all those who have been recently detained. We did so most recently in a meeting with the Sudanese Ambassador to the UK in London on 20 March.

Sudan: Politics and Government

Nic Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether the Government provides (a) financial or (b) technical support to the Sudan Call group of opposition organisations in Sudan.

Harriett Baldwin: Although the British Government does not provide any financial or technical support to the Sudan Call alliance of opposition groups, we engage with them regularly in Khartoum and the UK to encourage them (as well as the Government) to return to the negotiating table and make progress at the peace talks mediated by the African Union High Level Implementation Panel.

Democratic Republic of Congo: Politics and Government

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent representations he has made to the Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo on President Kabila remaining in office after the expiration of his constitutional term.

Harriett Baldwin: ​The British Government has repeatedly called for President Kabila to honour both the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) Constitution and the 31 December agreement and conduct a peaceful transfer of power in DRC via credible elections. The then Minister for Africa, Rory Stewart MP, made these points directly to President Kabila when he visited Kinshasa in November 2017. Our Embassy in Kinshasa regularly presses the DRC authorities to ensure they enable the Congolese people are able to meet their democratic aspirations by electing a new President. The UK, alongside regional and international partners, will continue to press the DRC authorities to adhere to their electoral commitments.

Pakistan: Blasphemy

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether he has made recent representations to his counterpart in the Pakistani Government on the release of prisoners sentenced to death for blasphemy.

Mark Field: We have repeatedly called on Pakistan to end capital punishment and have urged them to renew the previously imposed moratorium on the application of the death penalty. We are in any case concerned about the misuse of blasphemy laws, which carry the death penalty.We regularly raise these concerns at a senior level with the Government of Pakistan. During my visit to Pakistan in November 2017, I discussed our human rights concerns with the Federal Secretary of the Ministry of Human Rights. The UK called on Pakistan to address these concerns at the UN Universal Periodic Review of Pakistan in November 2017 and at the 37th Human Rights Council session in March 2018.

Religious Freedom

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the EU Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief on his work.

Mark Field: The Foreign Secretary has not has any recent discussions with Mr Ján Figel, the EU's Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief. However, a senior official from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office met Mr Figel along with counterparts from other EU member states for a day of discussions on improving the protection of Freedom of Religion and Belief internationally on 11 January 2018.

Burma: Rohingya

Emma Hardy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that any repatriation of Rohingya refugees to Myanmar includes (a) guarantees on the physical and legal safety of returnees and (b) UNHCR supervision.

Mark Field: The Foreign Secretary raised the issue of refugee returns when he met Burmese State Counsellor Aung Sun Suu Kyi on 12 February. The UK has been clear Rohingya refugees must be allowed to return to their homes in Rakhine voluntarily, in safety and with dignity. The UK secured the support of the UN Security Council for these requirements in its Presidential Statement of 6 November. The UK Government shares UNHCR's assessment that conditions in Rakhine are not currently in place to enable returns in line with these standards, and has called on the Burmese authorities to allow UNHCR to play a full role in the returns process.

Department for Education

Apprentices

James Frith: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment his Department has made of the effect on (a) short-skills sectors of setting apprenticeship bands which are lower than the average costing proposals submitted and (b) the expected quality of apprenticeships delivered against the standards and on training providers of those bands being so set lower.

Anne Milton: The independent Institute for Apprenticeships is responsible for advising the department on the appropriate funding band for individual apprenticeship standards. The Institute takes into account a range of evidence to provide a recommendation. This includes employer evidence of eligible delivery costs, the cost and funding band of equivalent frameworks, affordability, and the expertise of their employer route panels. The apprenticeship funding band upper limit represents the maximum amount of government funding that can be used to support high-quality apprentice training and assessment. Employers are encouraged to negotiate and agree a price with training providers and are free to agree a price above the funding band, although the employer will be liable for any costs above the funding band limit.

Carers: Finance

Mrs Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that kinship carers receive adequate financial support.

Nadhim Zahawi: The government issued statutory guidance in 2011 for local authorities about supporting family and friends providing care for children who cannot live with their parents. The guidance makes it clear that children and young people should receive the support that they and their carers need to safeguard and promote their welfare. It explains that support, including financial support, can be provided under Section 17 of the Children Act 1989. There is no limit on the level of support, including financial support, that local authorities can provide. The local authority should have in place clear eligibility criteria in relation to the provision of support services.

Children: Disadvantaged

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the long-term (a) education, (b) employment, (c) training, (d) housing and (e) health outcomes of children who are classified as in need at the age of (a) 16 and (b) 17.

Anne Milton: On 16 March 2018, the government published data and analysis as part of the Department for Education’s Children in Need Review. This included the finding that Children in Need are more likely than other children to become a young adult who is not in education, employment or training three years after completing key stage 4. The department does not currently hold data on other long-term outcomes of Children in Need. The department’s data publication will access long-term outcomes analysis to better understand child journeys and lifetime outcomes, which includes the feasibility of matching the Department for Education’s Children in Need data with outcomes data from other government policy areas.

Pupils: Facial Disfigurement

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department has taken to ensure that (a) early years settings, (b) schools and (c) further education colleges take action against discrimination of pupils based on visible facial disfigurements.

Nadhim Zahawi: The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Statutory Framework sets the regulatory standards for learning and development and safeguarding and welfare requirements for registered providers caring for children from birth to five. The EYFS Framework is mandatory for all early years providers to ensure that children learn and develop well and are kept healthy and safe. The EYFS seeks to provide equality of opportunity and anti-discriminatory practice, ensuring that every child is included and supported. School Governing Boards’ duties towards those with disabilities (which may include those with facial disfigurements) are included in the Equality Act 2010: they must not discriminate against, harass or victimise disabled children and young people. All schools are legally required to have a behaviour policy with measures to prevent all forms of bullying among pupils. They have the freedom to develop their own anti-bullying strategies appropriate to their school but are held to account via Ofsted. Further Education Colleges are autonomous organisations, which are subject to the provisions on discrimination in the Equality Act. Matters of this nature would therefore be for individual colleges.

Sixth Form Education: Finance

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 6 October 2017 to Question 106098, how much of his Department's budget allocated to 16 to 19-year old education in the financial year 2017-18 is available for reallocation to other budgets; if he will reallocate any underspend to providers of 16 to 19-year old education; and if he will make a statement.

Anne Milton: As in any financial year, the department is required to manage its 2017-18 finances in order to make best use of the resources available across its budgets and responsibilities. This includes using budgets flexibly to manage any underspends and budget pressures. Final 2017-18 expenditure will be available when the accounts are published, which is planned for the summer.

Pupil Exclusions: Autism

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many children with autism as their primary educational special need have received a (a) permanent and (b) fixed-term exclusion in (i) Lewisham Deptford constituency, (ii) London, and (iii) England in each of the last seven years.

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many children with a health and social care plan or statement of special educational needs have received a permanent or fixed-term exclusion in (a) Lewisham Deptford constituency, (b) London and (c) England in each of the last seven years.

Nick Gibb: The first accompanying table provides the numbers of pupils with autism as their primary need who received fixed period and permanent exclusions in England, London and Lewisham local authority in the last seven years.The second accompanying table shows the number of pupils with an education, health and care plan or a statement of special educational needs (SEN) who received a permanent or fixed-period exclusion in England, London and Lewisham local authority in each of the last seven years. Constituency level information is not available.The Government has announced an externally led review of exclusions practice, led by Edward Timpson CBE. The review will explore and evaluate exclusions practice, in particular for pupil groups disproportionately represented in the national statistics, including children with SEN. The review was launched on 16 March and will report by the end of the year. A call for evidence will run until 6 May.



134247 Table
(Excel SpreadSheet, 25.03 KB)




134250 Table
(Excel SpreadSheet, 24.92 KB)

Social Services: Children

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the report of the Children’s Society, Crumbling Futures, published in March 2018, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that 16 and 17 year olds referred to children’s services are receiving (a) a full assessment of their needs and (b) adequate support.

Nadhim Zahawi: Our statutory guidance, ‘Working Together to Safeguard Children’, is clear that every child, up to the age of 18, who has been referred into local authority children’s social care should have an individual assessment to respond to their needs. Assessments should be carried out in a timely manner reflecting the needs of the individual child.Local authorities have a duty to ascertain the child’s wishes and feelings and take account of them when planning the provision of services. Any provision identified as being necessary through the assessment process should, if the local authority decides to provide such services, be provided without delay.

Domestic Violence: Children

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what (a) resources and (b) training his Department provides to teachers to ensure that they can (i) identify and (ii) support teenagers who are in abusive relationships.

Nick Gibb: The Government has provided £3 million for the ‘Disrespect Nobody’ teenage relationship abuse campaign, designed to raise awareness of different types of abusive behaviour, and key issues such as consent and healthy relationships. The Department has worked with the PSHE Association to develop teaching resources. The Department’s statutory safeguarding guidance for schools and colleges, ‘Keeping children safe in education’, advises that all staff members should receive appropriate child protection and safeguarding training which is regularly updated. As part of their child protection and safeguarding training, schools and colleges should consider the importance of their staff being aware of the different types of abuse and neglect so that they are able to identify cases of children who may be in need of help and protection. Departmental advice, ‘What to do if you are worried a child is being abused: Advice for practitioners’, provides more information on understanding and identifying different types of abuse and neglect.

Nurses: Training

Mr Gary Streeter: To ask the Secretary of State for Education,  what estimate his Department has made of the number of nursing students who were overpaid loans and maintenance grants by the Students Loans Company.

Mr Sam Gyimah: We are aware of 804 NHS funded students who may have been overpaid maintenance loans and/or grants in the academic year 2017/18. None of the students affected should suffer hardship as a result of the error, and students affected should contact the Student Loans Company.

Pre-school Education: Staff

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to ensure that colleges advertise in a way which is consistent with his Department;s most recent guidance on the early years workforce, specifically that level 3 learners no longer need GCSE passes in English and Maths in order to work in early years settings.

Anne Milton: As has been previously stated, the department has written to the Association of Colleges to ask them to remind their members of the change in English and mathematics requirements for entry to level 3 early years job roles made in April 2017.

Pre-school Education: Staff

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on funding for early years providers; what steps he plans to take as a result of those discusions; and if he will make statement.

Nadhim Zahawi: The government is determined to support as many families as possible with access to high-quality, affordable childcare. This is why by 2019 - 2020 we will be spending a record £6 billion on childcare support.HM Treasury and Department for Education discuss the early years entitlements at both a ministerial and official level regularly and as necessary, and will continue to do so.

Nurses: Training

Mr Gary Streeter: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, which universities have been affected by overpayments of student loans and maintenance grants to nursing students by the Student Loans Company.

Mr Sam Gyimah: The following Higher Education Institutions have at least one nursing student who has received an overpayment of grant and/or maintenance loan in the academic year 2017/18. Brunel University LondonCardiff UniversityGlyndwr UniversityPlymouth Marjon UniversityUniversity of BrightonUniversity of ManchesterUniversity of SouthamptonUniversity of SuffolkUniversity of West LondonLeeds UniversityUniversity of EssexUniversity of BedfordshireUniversity of WorcesterAnglia Ruskin UniversityLondon Metropolitan UniversityUniversity of Central LancashireUniversity of DerbyUniversity of PortsmouthUniversity of ReadingUniversity of Salford

School Exclusions Review

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to his Department's press release, New action to improve outcomes for children with additional needs, published on 16 March 2018, what the selection process was for the appointment of Edward Timpson to carry out a review into school exclusions.

Nick Gibb: The role of Chair of the Exclusions Review is a voluntary role, which is not subject to a formal selection or appointments process.Edward Timpson CBE brings a wealth of experience championing the rights of vulnerable children to ensure that all children secure the best outcomes.As Chair of the review, Edward Timpson will draw on the knowledge and experience of others with expertise in this area. He will also be supported by a reference group which will provide expertise on the school system and perspectives of pupils more likely to be excluded. Views and evidence can also be submitted to the call for evidence which will run until 6 May.

Postgraduate Education: Disadvantaged

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what programmes are in place to help students from disadvantaged backgrounds access PhD courses in universities.

Mr Sam Gyimah: Research and innovation skills are vital to the UK economy, which is why the government invested £90 million in an additional 1,000 PhDs from 2017/18 in disciplines aligned with our industrial strategy, as part of a package of investment in research talent. Recruitment of PhD students is the responsibility of higher education providers. Research councils can provide training grants to support students once they are in post. Postgraduate doctoral loans will be made available from academic year 2018/19 and provide a £25,000 loan to doctoral students to contribute to the cost of their studies. These loans will help support those who face financial barriers to undertaking a doctorate qualification. The scheme particularly aims to help students who would not previously have had the opportunity to take up doctoral study, as well as helping others manage the financial pressures associated with study more easily.

Postgraduate Education: Northern Ireland

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent discussions he has had with the Northern Ireland authorities on the effectiveness of schemes to encourage students from disadvantaged backgrounds to access PhD courses in universities in England.

Mr Sam Gyimah: My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State has not discussed this issue with the Northern Ireland authorities. However, he has regular on-going discussions with the Northern Ireland authorities on a range of issues including those affecting the higher education sector. Postgraduate doctoral loans aimed at helping students who would not previously have had the opportunity to take up doctoral study will be made available in England from academic year 2018/19 and will provide a £25,000 loan to doctoral students to contribute to the cost of their studies.

Department for Education: Official Hospitality

Deidre Brock: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much money his Department has spent on hospitality in each of the last five years.

Anne Milton: I refer the hon. Member for Edinburgh North and Leith to the answer I gave on 2 February 2018 to Question 124714 https://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Commons/2018-01-24/124714/.

Out-of-School Education: Religion

Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of illegal or unregistered schools identified by his Department and Ofsted have a religious basis.

Anne Milton: This is a matter for Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Amanda Spielman. I have asked her to write to my hon. Friend and a copy of her reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Pupils: Sanitary Protection

Thelma Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of providing sanitary products to girls in receipt of free school meals.

Nadhim Zahawi: Our current Sex and Relationships Education guidance encourages schools to make adequate and sensitive arrangements to help girls cope with menstruation. Schools have discretion over how they use their funding and can make sanitary products available to pupils if they identify this as a barrier to attainment or attendance. We support schools in addressing the needs of disadvantaged pupils through the provision of the Pupil Premium, equivalent to almost £2.5 billion of additional funding this year alone. We are committed to ensuring that any action to support disadvantaged pupils is based on robust evidence. We have sought to establish whether there has been any rigorous national assessment of the prevalence of period poverty or its impact on attendance, however none appears available. We reached out to school stakeholders in July 2017 through the Association of School and College Leaders forum asking for contributions on the issue and received a very limited response. As promised in the House, we have reviewed our absence statistics and our recently published analysis shows no evidence that period poverty has a significant nation-wide impact on school attendance. We do want to find out more; this is why we intend to place questions on these issues in the department’s 2018 surveys for pupils and senior school leaders.

Schools: Transport

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what information his Department holds on the number of children who receive free school transport.

Nick Gibb: The information requested is not held centrally. Local authorities in England have a statutory duty to provide free transport to eligible children and will hold information about the numbers of eligible children in their areas.

Ministry of Justice

Youth Courts: South Tyneside

Mrs Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to provide financial support to families and victims from Sunderland who now have to travel to South Tyneside to attend the Youth Court.

Lucy Frazer: We do not currently provide financial support for families and victims attending the youth court but we do endeavour to list any hearings required following the first hearing at South Tyneside at the most convenient location for victims and families. There are regular and affordable public transport options available for travel between Sunderland and South Tyneside ensuring the journey is both reasonable and practical.

Civil Proceedings: Legal Costs

Alex Chalk: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment the Government has made of the potential merits of introducing qualified one-way costs shifting for claims against non-medical professionals in line with claims against medical professionals.

Alex Chalk: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice,  whether the Government has made an assessment of the potential merits of making adjudication compulsory for claims against non-medical professionals similar to adjudication for construction disputes under the Housing Grants, Construction and Regeneration Act 1996.

Lucy Frazer: The Government is this year carrying out a post-implementation review of the costs and funding reforms introduced by Part 2 of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012. The review will consider costs protection arrangements (including qualified one way costs shifting) in personal injury and other cases. The Government is supportive of alternatives to costly litigation, such as adjudication. A voluntary pilot scheme of adjudication in professional negligence claims was commenced in February 2015. Proposals are now being considered to add the scheme to the Pre-Action Protocol for Professional Negligence Disputes.

Personal Injury: Compensation

Mr Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of changing the Ogden rate on insurance premiums paid by businesses.

Lucy Frazer: The Ministry of Justice has not separately assessed the effect of changing the way the personal injury discount rate is set on the insurance premiums to be paid by businesses, as opposed to the effect on consumers and other buyers of insurance policies. Nonetheless, the department expects that at any review of the discount rate under the approach set out in the Civil Liability Bill, which was introduced in the House of Lords on 20 March, the rate will be higher than would have been set under the present law had it remained in force at that time. The department believes the change in the law will result in reductions in insurance premiums paid by businesses. This is because of the competitive nature of the insurance industry and the recent public commitment by insurers representing about three quarters of the UK’s motor and liability insurance market to pass on cost benefits arising from Government action to reform the rate. I have placed a copy of the commitment in the House Library.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Travellers: EU Action

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to create a Roma integration strategy for after the UK leaves the EU.

Rishi Sunak: The Government remains vigilant about the inequalities experienced by Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities, and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has brought forward a new and ambitious integration strategy. The Integrated Communities Strategy Green Paper, published in March, invites views on the Government’s vision for building strong integrated communities where people – whatever their background – live, work, learn and socialise together, based on shared rights, responsibilities and opportunities. We encourage all groups, including Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities, to engage with the Green Paper.

Empty Property

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to ensure there are no derelict houses in the UK.

Rishi Sunak: Housing is a devolved matter in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.The Government is committed to reducing the number of long-term empty homes to increase the supply of housing.In England, the number of long-term empty homes is down by nearly a third since 2010. At May 2010 over 300,000 homes had been standing empty for longer than 6 months. As of October 2017 the number of long term empty properties had fallen to 205,293.Local authorities in England have powers and strong incentives to tackle empty homes, and through the New Homes Bonus they earn the same financial reward for bringing an empty home back into use as building a new one.The Rating (Property in Common Occupation) and Council Tax (Empty Dwellings) Bill, which was introduced on 28 March, proposes to strengthen the powers available to local authorities to tackle empty homes in England. Local authorities will be able to charge a 100 per cent council tax premium (currently 50 per cent) to homes that have been empty for at least two years.Local authorities in England also have a discretionary power under Section 215 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 to deal with derelict land and buildings.

Local Plans: Northumberland

Mr Ronnie Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what the proposed timetable is for the implementation of the Northumberland Local Plan; and what funding his Department has allocated to ensure that implementation.

Mr Ronnie Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what estimate he has made of the cost of providing support services to Northumberland County Council in support of the Northumberland Local Plan; and where that funding will come from.

Mr Ronnie Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what representations he has received from Northumberland County Council on the Northumberland Local Plan.

Dominic Raab: Northumberland County Council submitted representations to the Secretary of State in January outlining how it proposes to accelerate the preparation of its Local Plan. Their current timetable proposes that the Local Plan will published for consultation in winter 2018 and submitted for examination in summer 2019, but we have asked the Council to accelerate this timescale based on advice from the Planning Advisory Service.Responsibility of resources for preparation of the Local Plan is with the County Council. Government has provided £2 million funding to the Planning Advisory Service to provide support to local authorities for the period 2017-2019.

Ministry of Defence

Armed Forces: Languages

Martin Docherty-Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many personnel in the (a) Army, (b) RAF and (c) Royal Navy are classed as level 3 or higher linguists in (i) Arabic, (ii) Russian, (iii) Ukrainian, iv) German and (v) French.

Guto Bebb: There are approximately 850 Service personnel across the Ministry of Defence (MOD) trained in some 40 different languages. It is not possible to provide a detailed breakdown because of the strategic and operational sensitivities surrounding them. The MOD's language requirements are met from a Departmental pool of Armed forces and civilian personnel; the Department regularly reviews its future requirements for linguists and trains its personnel accordingly.

Ministry of Defence: Buildings

Jamie Stone: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 16 March 2018 to Question 131729, on Ministry of Defence; buildings, what the average annual rent charged for those properties was.

Guto Bebb: The average annual rent charged for accommodation properties rented to non-military personnel living in Ministry of Defence owned properties is £10,944.

Ministry of Defence: Buildings

Jamie Stone: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 26 February 2018 to Question 131729, on Ministry of Defence: Buildings, the location of the accommodation properties owned by his Department which were rented to non-military personnel between January 2016 and January 2017.

Guto Bebb: Between January 2016 and January 2017, non-military personnel were accommodated for varying periods of time in County Antrim, County Down, Devon, Edinburgh, Fife, Hants and Warwickshire.

Department for Work and Pensions

Personal Income

Mr Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average net weekly household income was for people in (a) Jarrow constituency, (b) South Tyneside, (c) the North East, (d) London, (e) the South East, (f) England, and (g) the UK in each year since 2010.

Kit Malthouse: National statistics on the number of people living in in-work relative low income are set out in the annual "Households Below Average Income" publication. Average incomes are not available at constituency or ward level in this publication because the survey sample sizes are too small to support the production of robust estimates at this geography. However figures at a regional level are available as a three year rolling average. National figures are available for individual years. Figures on average incomes by region and for England can be found in the link below, in table 2.5ts, and sets out median and mean incomes before housing costs (BHC) and after housing costs (AHC). Figures for the UK can be found in table 2.1ts, which shows UK income deciles but also the median and mean incomes, both before and after housing costs.https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/691966/income-values-and-inequality-measures-hbai-1994-95-2016-17-tables.ods

Employment and Support Allowance

Mrs Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to reimburse people who received incorrect employment and support allowance payments.

Sarah Newton: Please see below a link to the latest ministerial statement regarding ESA underpayments, made in the House of Lords on 15 March 2018: https://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-statement/Commons/2018-03-15/HCWS549/

Department for Work and Pensions: Official Hospitality

Deidre Brock: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much money her Department has spent on hospitality in each of the last five years.

Kit Malthouse: The Department’s guidance on hospitality is in accordance with financial procedures and propriety, based on the principles set out in Government Accounting. Given the nature of this type of expenditure, it is likely that there will be some variation in the levels incurred year on year but in the context of the overall budget managed by the Department, the amounts incurred shown in the table below are less than 0.0001% of overall expenditure. Expenditure on hospitality in each of the last five years is set out in the table below.  2012-132013-142014-152015-162016-17  Hospitality£868£4,220£4,826£3,081£7,164

Access to Work Programme

Neil Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to raise awareness of the availability of access to work grants.

Sarah Newton: We promote Access to Work through engagement with partners and stakeholders such as Remploy, as well as through other government departments and public sector bodies. Access to Work is also promoted to a range of business leaders through the Disability Confident scheme. As part of the ongoing Access to Work scheme, partnership managers will be engaging with local contacts to promote the support available.

Access to Work Programme

Neil Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people are in receipt of access to work grants by region.

Sarah Newton: The information on how many people are in receipt of Access to Work grants by region is not readily available and has not previously been published as official statistics. We will consider whether it is feasible to produce the statistics requested and, if so, will issue them in an official statistics release in accordance with the Code of Practice for Official Statistics.Official experimental statistics are available on the number of people who had Access to Work provision approved from the financial year between 2007/08 and 2016/17, these statistics show the number of people who had Access to Work provision approved by the type of provision, age, gender and primary medical condition. Access to Work provision was approved for 25,020 individuals in 2016/17 – an 8% increase on 2015/16, at a cost of £104mhttps://www.gov.uk/government/collections/access-to-work-statistics

Access to Work Programme

Neil Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the effect of the cap on access to work grants on progress in reducing the disability employment gap.

Sarah Newton: The Written Ministerial Statement of 20 March on Access to Work announced that the Access to Work award limit, currently £42,100 per year, will rise from 1st April 2018 to £57,200 per annum. This will make available an increased level of potential support to those using Access to Work. We have committed to the ongoing monitoring of the impact of the cap and intend to publish an update to the Equality Analysis published in May 2015 as a formal addendum.https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/future-of-access-to-work

Support for Mortgage Interest: Disability

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment the Government has made of the effect of changing Support for Mortgage Interest payments to a loan for people participating in the Home Ownership for people with Long Term Disabilities (HOLD) scheme; and if she will make a statement.

Kit Malthouse: SMI loans offer the same level of protection against repossession as SMI benefit does now and will enable claimants on the HOLD scheme to continue living in their home. For participants in the HOLD scheme, any charges placed to secure the SMI loan will only be placed on the claimant’s share of the equity in the property. Help with a shared owner’s rental liability will continue to be available as now through Housing Benefit or Universal Credit.

Support for Mortgage Interest: Disability

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department has taken to inform people participating in the Home Ownership for people with Long Term Disabilities (HOLD) scheme that Support for Mortgage Interest payments will be replaced by a loan; whether letters and phone communications from her Department relating to that change have been specifically tailored to those people; how many of those people have been contacted by her Department about that change; what responses her Department have received from those people on that change; how much notice those people have been given of that change prior to its implementation; and if he will make a statement.

Kit Malthouse: The Department is not aware of any HOLD cases where the claimant does not have an appointee acting on their behalf. In such circumstances all communications are via the appointee rather than the claimant so special arrangements are not necessary. All existing SMI claimants including the representatives of HOLD claimants have been contacted about SMI loans. Data on the number of HOLD claimants who have taken up the loan offer is not available. SMI benefit can continue temporarily beyond 6 April where an existing claimant lacks mental capacity to make decisions about entering into the loan agreement and additional assistance is required.

Employment: Autism

Derek Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what support her Department provides to specifically help people with autism into work.

Sarah Newton: The Government is strongly committed to increasing employment opportunities for disabled people, including those with autism. Taking a life course approach, we are working across Government and with local authorities, voluntary organisations and employers in the public and private sectors to achieve this. Specific help for people with autism includes: Access to Work has put in place a Hidden Impairment Specialist Team that gives advice to help employers support employees with conditions such as Autism, Learning Disability and/or Mental Health conditions. It also offers eligible people an assessment to find out their needs at work and help to develop a support plan. Through a contract with Autism Alliance, we have developed the Disability Confident Autism and Neurodiversity Toolkit, to help staff from all Government Departments understand how to support people with Autism and associated Neuro-Diverse conditions. We also Developed the Disability Passport ‘About Me’ which aims to encourage disabled claimants, including individuals with Autism, to disclose their disability/ health conditions at the earliest stage to their Adviser, to improve communication and ensure reasonable adjustments are put in place. Both the toolkit and passport are hosted on Autism Alliance’s websiteAlso through a contract with Autism Alliance, we delivered Autism and Hidden Impairment training to over 1000 nominated staff across the Jobcentre Plus network. Feedback from delegates confirms that the training helped staff to understand how to support people with Autism or hidden impairments into employmentThe Civil Service has committed to support the Autism Exchange Programme, and my Department is working with Ambitious about Autism to provide work placement opportunities for young people. I recently attended an Autism Exchange event which was designed to promote the programme among employers from a range of sectors. On Thursday 30 November 2017 we published ‘Improving Lives the Future of Work,Health and Disability’, which sets out details of our life course approach to improving employment opportunities for disabled people and people with a health condition. Whilst the initiatives are not all aimed exclusively at autistic people, we expect that many will benefit from these initiatives.

Housing Benefit: Northern Ireland

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department plans to take steps to tackle housing benefit (a) fraud and (b) overpayments in Northern Ireland.

Kit Malthouse: The Department for Work and Pensions is not responsible for investigating benefit fraud in Northern Ireland. The Northern Ireland Department for Communities has the responsibility for detecting and investigating benefit fraud in Northern Ireland. They also have their own Debt Management team responsible for the recovery of any benefit overpayments in Northern Ireland.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Horses: Databases

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to his Department's consultation on changes to the identification of equines, published on 5 April 2017, when his Department plans to publish its response to that consultation.

George Eustice: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for North Cornwall, Scott Mann, PQ UIN 133994.

Fisheries

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when the Government plans to announce its policy on fishing for after the UK leaves the EU.

George Eustice: The government has announced that it will introduce a Fisheries Bill during this session of parliament and will shortly publish a White Paper in advance of the Bill. The White Paper will set out the government's vision for an independent fisheries policy for the UK's Exclusive Economic Zone.

Dogs: Electronic Training Aids

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate he has made of the number of electric shock collars in use on dogs.

George Eustice: The Electronic Collar Manufacturers Association (ECMA) estimate that 500,000 dog owners in the UK are currently using electronic collars, based on records of sales from manufacturers and retailers.

Agriculture: Subsidies

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many farmers received the Single Farm Payment in 2017.

George Eustice: The Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) replaced the Single Payment Scheme from 2015. We have interpreted the question as relating to a BPS scheme year, rather than calendar year. The payment window for making payments under BPS 2017 opened on 1st December 2017 and runs until the end of June 2018. Of the 86,015 applications received for BPS 2017, 85,039 are deemed valid for payment. As of 27 March 2018, 81,079 claims had been paid. Of these, 76,911 were paid in December 2017.

Home Office

Corruption

Dr Rupa Huq: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to section 4.4 of the United Kingdom Anti-Corruption Strategy 2017-2022, which Ministers are in the Inter-Ministerial Group; and when the first meeting of that group will take place.

Mr Ben Wallace: The Anti-Corruption IMG last met in March 2017, co-chaired by Minister for the Cabinet Office Ben Gummer MP and the Prime Minister’s Anti-Corruption Champion Sir Eric Pickles MP. Following the publication of the anti-corruption strategy, membership is being revised to ensure effective ministerial oversight of Strategy priorities. I can confirm that it will be constituted by Ministers and senior representatives from all relevant Departments and law enforcement agencies, and the Prime Minister’s Anti-Corruption Champion, and will meet in the Spring.

Money Laundering

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the Flag it up campaign; and if she will make a statement.

Mr Ben Wallace: The Home Office’s Flag It Up campaign is delivered in partnership with the accountancy and legal sectors, as well as law enforcement partners, to deter professionals within these sectors from potential involvement in money laundering.A robust range of measures are in place to evaluate the impact of this intervention.Evaluation of the previous phase demonstrated that professionals who recognised Flag It Up were twice as likely to say they submitted a Suspicious Activity Report either to their Money Laundering Reporting Officer or directly to the NCA, compared to professionals who did not recognise the campaign.Evaluation of the current phase of the campaign is ongoing and will be available in May.

Vetting

David Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people waited longer than (a) 14 days, (b) 18 days, (c) 25 days and (d) 60 days to receive their Disclosure and Barring Service reports; and what the number of applications for Disclosure and Barring Service reports was by police force in each year since 2010.

Victoria Atkins: The tables below set out the number of people who have waited longer than 14, 18, 25 and 60 days to receive their disclosure certificates*:2010/11:Type of check> 14 days> 18 days> 25 days> 60 daysEnhanced1,880,2141,578,1421,243,836453,391Standard9,2224,9262,784674Total1,889,4361,583,0681,246,620454,065 2011/12:Type of check> 14 days> 18 days> 25 days> 60 daysEnhanced688,549519,641368,941104,773Standard4,4562,9601,794487Total693,005522,601370,735105,260 2012/13:Type of check> 14 days> 18 days> 25 days> 60 daysEnhanced790,299613,596380,40242,520Standard3,9172,9351,961319Total794,216616,531382,36342,839 2013/14: Type of check> 14 days> 18 days> 25 days> 60 daysEnhanced834,288751,147593,457405,014Standard3,2213,0632,151946Total837,509754,210595,608405,960  2014/15: Type of check> 14 days> 18 days> 25 days> 60 daysEnhanced1,038,411736,329490,198181,338Standard15,1254,4201,473216Total1,053,536740,749491,671181,554  2015/16:Type of check> 14 days> 18 days> 25 days> 60 daysEnhanced917,972675,921446,212209,613Standard3,6881,646897217Total921,660677,567447,109209,830  2016/17:Type of check> 14 days> 18 days> 25 days> 60 daysEnhanced948,522725,014516,048204,482Standard2,579998617124Total951,101726,012516,665204,606  2017-Feb 2018:Type of check> 14 days> 18 days> 25 days> 60 daysEnhanced917,339675,261404,63739,940Standard11,0213,157698137Total928,360678,418405,33540,077 *To include Standard and Enhanced checks.Data relating to the number of applications for Disclosure and Barring checks carried out by each police force in each year since 2010 is available, but due to the volume of data, it is not in a reportable format. Officials will ensure a hard copy of this data is placed in the House library.

Solvents: Misuse

David Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps the Government is taking to reduce the number of deaths associated with solvent abuse.

David Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the implications for its policies of the Office for National Statistics report into solvent abuse, published on 26 March 2018.

Victoria Atkins: The Government has noted the key findings from the report of the Office of National Statistics on deaths related to volatile substances and helium in Great Britain.We are committed to preventing deaths related to substance misuse. Our Drug Strategy, published in July 2017, brings together police, health, community and global partners to tackle the illicit drug trade, protect the most vulnerable and help those with drug dependency to recover and turn their lives around.Drug control is kept under constant review and we work in consultation with the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs to consider any new evidence of misuse or harms.

Sexual Offences

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many cases of (a) sexual assault and (b) rape were reported in 2017.

Mr Nick Hurd: Data on the number of police recorded sexual assault and rape offences in England and Wales are published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The latest data, for the year ending September 2017, can be found in Table A4 of the appendix tables, available here:https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/crimeandjustice/datasets/crimeinenglandandwalesappendixtables

Cabinet Office

Breast Cancer

Jim Shannon: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many women have been diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer in each of the last five years.

Chloe Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.



UKSA Response 
(PDF Document, 128.86 KB)

Brain: Tumours

Jim Shannon: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many people were diagnosed with brain tumours in each of the last five years.

Chloe Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.



UKSA Response 
(PDF Document, 190.53 KB)

Census: Jainism

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will request that the Office for National Statistics include in the faiths section of the next census a box specifically for those who are Jains to register their faith; and if he will make a statement.

Chloe Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.



UKSA Response 
(PDF Document, 70.17 KB)

Treasury

Gaming Machines

Carolyn Harris: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has made an assessment of the effect on the welfare budget of a reduction in B2 gaming machine stakes to £2.

Robert Jenrick: Gambling regulation is a matter for the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). DCMS are considering the responses to their consultation on a set of proposals on gaming machines and social responsibility measures and published an impact assessment setting out the impact of the proposals.

Gaming Machines

Carolyn Harris: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the accuracy of the KPMG report submitted to Government by the Association of British Bookmakers on fixed odds betting terminals.

Robert Jenrick: Gambling regulation is a matter for the Department for Digital, Culture Media and Sport (DCMS). DCMS are considering the responses to their consultation on a set of proposals on gaming machines and social responsibility measures and will consider evidence from a range of sources including the KPMG report.